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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million united states dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "contact me immediately" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
• This email message is a "Zimbabwe" scam.

Fraud email example:

From: Francis Zuma <fan_zum04@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 15 Aug 2006 03:14:12 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: URGENT BUSINESS ASSISITANCE


MR FRANCIS ZUMA
TEL: 27-836-886-032.
JHB, SOUTH AFRICA

DEAR FRIEND,
URGENT BUSINESS ASSISITANCE

I humbly solicit your support and assistance for a very important and confidential business / offshore investment. I am Mr. Francis Zuma, a chartered accountant by profession and the Auditor General of a Commercial bank here in South Africa.

I got your contact from your country’s business journal and after due consideration, I decided to contact you hoping that you will support and work in partnership with us for our mutual benefits.

My colleagues and I want to redeem {transfer} the sum of THIRTEEN MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS {$13M) from the commercial bank through the name of a foreign partner or company who will stand as the beneficiary of the fund to an offshore account.

This fund is being held at the Johannesburg branch of the bank under GOODWILL INVESTMENTS in the name of Mr. Michael Anderson as the trustee of the account. The account has been declared dormant by the bank, since August 2001 and the fund will be confiscated to bank if not redeemed. This fund was discovered during our last general auditing of bank accounts and holdings.

Our investigation and inquires in the transaction of GOODWILL INVESTMENT revealed that the company was registered in 1999 by Mr. Michael Anderson, a citizen of Zimbabwe. Mr. Anderson was among the white farmers killed during the early invasion on white owned farms by the Zimbabwean war veterans backed by PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE and the ZANU PF.

The money in the account was donations from private, local and foreign companies, politicians and government agents, who are secretly funding and backing the MDC {MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE} in Zimbabwe.

Mr. Michael Anderson was a member and financier of the MDC, a white minority party opposed to the government of President Robert Mugabe and ZANU PF. The MDC however lost in the general elections adjudged to be rigged by many international observers and no relative of Mr. Michael Anderson / Trustees has ever come for the fund. The Manager and I therefore decided to transfer the funds through a foreign partner or company who will stand as the beneficiary of the fund.

We will arrange for the necessary documents that will be required in the transaction and we would use our position / connections to obtain approval for the transfer of the fund overseas. However, as public servants, we need the assistance and co-operation of a foreign partner to achieve this successfully.

We intend to invest this fund in a joint partnership company at the conclusion of this business. Note that this transaction demands truth, trust, prudence and strict confidentiality so that we don’t loose our jobs or run into problems. We have arranged for a very smooth transaction if given the assistance and co-operation we desire.

We have mapped out 30% of the total fund for you at the end of the business, while 70% will be for my colleagues and I. Contact me immediately through the above telephone number for further discussions or send a fax to me on the above fax number to enable us start and subsequently conclude this business.

You can also send e-mail. In your reply do include your most confidential telephone & fax numbers for easier communication. We look forward to you helping us, but if you are not interested please discard this letter and still maintain its confidentiality.

Best regards,
MR FRANCIS ZUMA.




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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam